Loon South Peak Expansion

[machski]

They removed the old gondola and installed the new one without demoing the lodge, so I suspect it won't be as difficult as you think.

True, but the exact reason they stuck with 4 pax cabin size. They could fit it all in the existing base building (the top terminal building was onviously razed for the current terminal).

If they go with a Chondi, they may be able to reuse the terminal building if they can reconfigure the flow for the chair loading side. The do have a lot of practice pushing snow inside a loading building already (Kanc8). I guess it will depend on if the chairs have bubbles or not, but then again, even with bubbles the chairs rack quite tightly compared to cabins. Will be interesting to see, given the partnership between Boyne and Dopp, bet Dopp already has some ideas on this.

 

[xlr8r]

The only differnce size wise between a 4 person gondola terminal and 8 person is the gauge (width). The inside of the current building is plenty wide enough for an 8 person gondola, its the portal entry exit that might be a little tight. A Chondi would be very complicated to fit in the current building, plus a chondi with 6 passenger chairs is even wider than an 8 passenger gondola. I bet it eventually gets replaced with an 8 passenger gondola, when that happens the building is renovated, but not replaced to fit it in.

 

[deadheadskier]

Would their be enough room to store the larger 8 person cabins though?

One question I have is where is Loon's property line for the South Peak area? Seems like quite a bit of good low level intermediate terrain both above and South / West of this new beginner pod they're putting in. Wonder if long term plans call for even more terrain over there? The business could certainly support it.

 

[Granite1]

Would their be enough room to store the larger 8 person cabins though?

One question I have is where is Loon's property line for the South Peak area? Seems like quite a bit of good low level intermediate terrain both above and South / West of this new beginner pod they're putting in. Wonder if long term plans call for even more terrain over there? The business could certainly support it.

They could always expand towards the river, but would have to build it over the existing road. They could also move the ski shop to another location. I suggest that they expand the best après-ski bar around, The Bunyan Room too!

 

[Granite1]

They need to keep the rustic feel of the Octagon Lodge and Bunyan Room, fireplaces, etc., maybe upgrades/renovation with out the old ski lodge feel it has. That fireplace next to the gondi is the only one of it's kind anywhere that I know of? You can see the fireplace inside the building in the photo.

 

[Granite1]

Next to the gondola building fire place is this sign. What does it mean?

 

[Edd]

Next to the gondola building fire place is this sign. What does it mean?

To know the sign is to understand the sign. If you don’t know the sign, you don’t understand the sign.

 

[machski]

Would their be enough room to store the larger 8 person cabins though?

One question I have is where is Loon's property line for the South Peak area? Seems like quite a bit of good low level intermediate terrain both above and South / West of this new beginner pod they're putting in. Wonder if long term plans call for even more terrain over there? The business could certainly support it.

No, when all the 4 pax cabins are off, the building is full as of now. They could possibly do a top terminal rack of some cabins if they go D-Line and enclose the top building again (similar to what SR does with J8 and coming B6). They could also completely redo that side of the terminal building which would prove to be a multi year project. I would think, start the building revamp first year and keep current Gondi, then finish and install new following year.

 

[Granite1]

To know the sign is to understand the sign. If you don’t know the sign, you don’t understand the sign.

I would like to know and understand what BodeMiller1 knows and understands about this sign?

 

[xlr8r]

If the grate be empty put coal on
If the grate be full, stop putting coal on
Don't put coal on over a high fender
You'd be an ass to risk it

 

[doublediamond]

The Jordan8 (and the soon to be Barker6) has on-bank parking for the chairs. Not possible to store enough gondola cabins that way. They would have to build a big storage barn at the top kinda like the bottom of the the Gondola at Stowe or the Killington gondolas.

 

[machski]

The Jordan8 (and the soon to be Barker6) has on-bank parking for the chairs. Not possible to store enough gondola cabins that way. They would have to build a big storage barn at the top kinda like the bottom of the the Gondola at Stowe or the Killington gondolas.

Very true. But if they could store say 10 cabins on bank in the top terminal (quite possible) that may give them enough storage coupled with the base building storage for the bigger cabins. Time will tell what the plan is, the current tripod tower foundations have to be nearing end of life.

 

[Dickc]

Behind the Gondi base is a road. Do like they do in Boston, and build a building OVER that road. Pleanty of cabin storage that way.

 

[thebigo]

Relistened to the most recent storm skiing loon podcast while driving to loon today. A few takeaways that may or may not have been discussed:

-lodge build is a 20 month project, will be constructed next to existing governors lodge.
-master plan calls for thinning the trees between boom run and twitcher/jobber to replace undercut
-potential for 200 - 300 acre expansion on south peak
-infill terrain possible on north but nothing beyond walking boss

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast | Stuart Winchester | Substack

Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains. Click to read The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast, by Stuart Winchester, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

www.stormskiing.com

 

[snoseek]

Relistened to the most recent storm skiing loon podcast while driving to loon today. A few takeaways that may or may not have been discussed:

-lodge build is a 20 month project, will be constructed next to existing governors lodge.
-master plan calls for thinning the trees between boom run and twitcher/jobber to replace undercut
-potential for 200 - 300 acre expansion on south peak
-infill terrain possible on north but nothing beyond walking boss

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast | Stuart Winchester | Substack

Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains. Click to read The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast, by Stuart Winchester, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

www.stormskiing.com

Its been quite a while since i last skied Loon. Where could they add anything on North without expanding past Walking Boss?

 

[chuckstah]

Its been quite a while since i last skied Loon. Where could they add anything on North without expanding past Walking Boss?

Anything will take out glades, but there's room for a trail off sunset off the traverse. Steep.
Also off Haulback between triple trouble and Flume.
Put the Glade between upper boss and upper Flume back on the map. It was marked for a short time, or clear it for a trail.
Probably room for a short trail skiersleft of sunset as well. Love that Glade now as is.
I haven't skied Loon in quite a few years, but there is room for expansion there. I like it as is.

 

[machski]

Anything will take out glades, but there's room for a trail off sunset off the traverse. Steep.
Also off Haulback between triple trouble and Flume.
Put the Glade between upper boss and upper Flume back on the map. It was marked for a short time, or clear it for a trail.
Probably room for a short trail skiersleft of sunset as well. Love that Glade now as is.
I haven't skied Loon in quite a few years, but there is room for expansion there. I like it as is.

Yeah, noticed they didn't have all the rope up blocking off several of the off map glades on North Peak this year. Those are great, as you said the upper stuff is quite steep with some ledge cliff too. But yes, there is a tone of room if they wanted to add a run or even 2 between flume and triple trouble. It would be a long wrap around access trail though as the North Peak lift doesn't run to the actual peak.

Over on South, the Boom run trees might be a better option even though they will likely be lower elevation than Undercut. Undercut got wind scoured quite a bit due to its exposure direction. The Boom trees are a bit more protected from NW winds.

 

[bigbob]

Yeah, noticed they didn't have all the rope up blocking off several of the off map glades on North Peak this year. Those are great, as you said the upper stuff is quite steep with some ledge cliff too. But yes, there is a tone of room if they wanted to add a run or even 2 between flume and triple trouble. It would be a long wrap around access trail though as the North Peak lift doesn't run to the actual peak.

I heard years ago that they were going to cut another trail on North Peak but was never done.

 

[machski]

I heard years ago that they were going to cut another trail on North Peak but was never done.

In one of the plans I have seen, they had an additional trail East of Walking Boss but I guess that got nixed.

 

[deadheadskier]

-potential for 200 - 300 acre expansion on south peak

Did they go into detail about this? Number of lifts, trails, amount of vertical etc.? I was in Lincoln the other day and it certainly seems like there's lots of room to put in some pretty compelling additional intermediate terrain to the South / West of what is already there.

I hate the fact that storm skiing doesn't post the transcript. I don't have the time nor do I particularly enjoy listening to podcasts.